Latch for sewing machine carrying case



Dec. 27, 1960 E. P. TARLE 2,966,377

LATCH FOR SEWING MACHINE CARRYING CASE Original Filed June 11, 1956 Fig.3 F|g.4

INVEN TOR.

. .T/ WITNESS Flgz y e P are A TORNE Y United States Patent LATCH FOR SEWING MACHINE CARRYING CASE Emile P; 'Tarle,"Paris,' France, assignor to The Singer Manufacturing C ompany,"Elizabeth, NJ., a corporation of New Jersey 2 Claims. (Cl. 292-173) This invention relates to an improved latch adapted for use with a sewing machine carrying case of the type shown and claimed in United States patent application Serial No. 459,351, filed September 30, 1954, and now Patent No. 2,856,726 and this application is a continuation of my United States patent application Serial No. 590,512, filed June 11, 1956, and now abandoned.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved latch for use with a sewing machine carrying case.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sewing machine carrying case latch that is inexpensive to manufacture, and which at the same time is strong, serviceable, and easy to operate.

With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear, the invention comprises the devices, combinations, and arrangements of parts hereinafter set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawings of a preferred embodiment of the invention, from which the several features of the invention and the advantages attained thereby will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a sewing machine carrying case equipped with latches embodying the present invention,

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the center of the left-hand latch shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a face view of one of the latches as it appears before installation on the carrying case, and

Fig. 4 is a rear view of the latch shown in Fig. 3.

Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings illustrate a sewing machine carrying case having a base member 17 and a cover member 18, this case being the same as the carrying case shown in United States patent application Serial No. 459,351, supra. The base member 17 comprises a bottom wall 19 as well as four upstanding walls 21 of which the outer surfaces 22 are inclined inwardly and upwardly. A drop-leaf 23 is hinged at 24 to one of the upstanding walls 21, and a sewing machine 26 is supported on the top 27 of the base member 17. The cover member 18 has a top wall 28 provided with a handle 29 and has four outer walls 31. The outer Walls 31 are upwardly and inwardly inclined, and fit over and enclose the upstanding walls 21 of the base member 17.

The cover member 18 is latched to the base member 17 by means of a pair of latches 3-2 cooperating with a pair of keepers 33 (only one of the keepers being shown). The outer surface of each end wall 21 is recessed to receive one of the countersunk keepers 33, each keeper having a substantially semi-circular hole 34, the straight edge of which forms the upper boundary of the said hole 34. Since each of the keepers 33 is mounted on one of the inclined outer surfaces 22 of the end walls 21, the outer surfaces of the keepers converge upwardly toward one another. Also each keeper 33 has a small horizontal lip that is flush with the top surface of the sleeve 44 which enters the aperture 41. The inner end' ice end wall on which it is mounted. A pair of screws 36 secure each keeper 33 in place on the end walls.

Each of the end walls 31 of the cover member 18 is apertured at 41 to receive a portion of one of the latches 32. Each latch 32 comprises an escutcheon 42 to which is fastened by means of a pair of rivets 43, a flanged of the sleeve 44 is externally threaded and thereby receives a large nut 46. rivets 43 is pointed, and these pointed rivets 43 and the nut 46 provide means for securing the latch to the end wall 31. The sleeve 44 and escutcheon 42 slidably support a bolt 47, the inner end of the bolt 47 carrying a wedge-shaped head or nose 48. A helical compression spring 49 is positioned between the inner face of the escutcheon 42 and the nose 48, thereby biasing the bolt 47 inwardly. The external end of the bolt 47 has a U- shaped notch 51 which accommodates a cross-bar 52. The cross-bar 52 is carried by the flanges of a channel shaped operating lever 53, and the upper end of the lever 53 is pivotally supported in a slot 54 formed in the escutcheon 42. The upper end of the operating lever 53 which extends inside of the inner surface of the escutcheon 42 is slightly enlarged, thereby providing a hinge for the operating lever-53. The flanges of the channel-shaped levers 53 are downwardly divergent and the lower end of the webof each channel is cut away as at 56, thereby equipping the lower end of the levers 53 with means for receiving the index fingers of a person wishing to lift the cover member 18 from the base member 17.

Operation When the cover'mem'ber 18 is positioned over the base member 17 in the manner shown in Fig. 1, the heads 48 of the latches 32 engage the keepers 33 and hold the base member 17 to the cover member 18. Then by use of the handle 29 the sewing machine 26 can be transported from place to place. If it becomes desirable to use the sewing machine 26, the carrying case 1718 is placed on a flat surface such as a table. Then the operator places his index fingers 57 in the cutaways 56 and his thumbs 58 on top of the operating levers 53 and moves the levers 53 to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1. This disengages the heads 48 of the bolts 47 from the keepers 33 and permits the operator to lift the cover 18 from the base 17 by using his four fingers 57-58. To secure the cover 18 to the base 17, the cover 18 is simply placed over the base 17 in such a manner that the inclined keepers 33 are engaged by the wedge-shaped heads 48, thereby automatically operating the bolts 47.

Having thus described the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is:

1. A latch especially adapted for use with a sewing machine carrying case, said latch comprising an escutcheon having a slot formed in the upper portion thereof; a flanged sleeve passing through a portion of said case; means for securing said flanged sleeve to said escutcheon; a nut threaded to said sleeve at a location inside of said case; a bolt axially movable in said sleeve, one end of said bolt being provided with a U-shaped notch and the other end of said bolt having an enlarged head; a helical compression spring surrounding a part of said bolt, one end of said spring engaging the head of said bolt, and the other end of said spring engaging said escutcheon; a channel-shaped operating lever having a web and two flanges, said lever being p-ivotally mounted at one of its ends by having a portion of the web thereof enter the slot in said escutcheon, and the free end of said channel-shaped lever having part of its web cut away; and a cross-bar carried by the two flanges of said lever, said The inner end of each of the 3 cross-bar being disposed in the U-shaped notch of said bolt.

2. A latch especially adapted for use with a sewing machine carrying case, said latch comprising an escutch eon having a slot formed in the upper portion thereof; a flanged sleeve; means for securing said flanged sleeve to said escutcheon; means adapted to secure said flanged sleeve to said case; a bolt axially movable in said sleeve, one end of said bolt being provided with an aperture and the other end of said bolt having an enlarged. head; a helical compression spring surrounding a part of said bo'lt, one end of said spring engaging the head of said bolt, and the other end of said spring engaging said escutcheon; a channel-shaped operating lever having a web and two flanges, said lever being pivotally mounted at 15 one of its ends by having a portion of the web thereof enter the slot in said escutcheon, and the free end of said channel-shaped lever having part of its web cut away; and a cross-bar carried by the two flanges of said lever, said cross-bar being disposed in the said aperture of said bolt.

References Cited in the file of this patent.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,518,207 Wagner Aug. 8, 1950 2,525,642 Bradshaw Oct. 10, 1.950 2,699,963 Hampton Jan. 18, 1955 2,856,726 Tarle Oct. 21, 1958 

